Buchanan County, Iowa Housing Market

In Buchanan County, Iowa, the median home value is $176,000, with a median monthly rent of $848. This places Buchanan County at #1686 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #37 within Iowa.

Median Home Value $176,000
Median Rent $848/mo
Owner Occupancy 82.1%
Price/Rent Ratio 17.3

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Buchanan County rose +3.9% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

5,155
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $984
  • Establishments: 576
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

62
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 58
  • Multi-family: 4
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+345
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 8,239 (avg $77,502)
  • Outflow: 7,894 (avg $78,454)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

📍 Sub-Market Activity

Top 2 active ZIP codes in Buchanan County · Latest: 2025

# ZIP Code HPI YoY Change Latest Year
1 50662 274.4 +44.83% 2025
2 50644 217.3 -0.75% 2025

Source: FHFA HPI for Five-Digit ZIP Codes (All-Transactions Index, 2000 = 100).
This product uses FHFA Data but is neither endorsed nor certified by FHFA.

How Buchanan County Compares

MetricBuchanan CountyIowa AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $176,000 $171,037 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $848 $832 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 82.1% 75.8% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 17.3 17.0 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Buchanan County is 2.9% above the Iowa state average and 22.7% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $848/month is 1.9% above the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 17.3, the buy-vs-rent decision in Buchanan County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Buchanan County has an owner-occupancy rate of 82.1%, compared to 75.8% in Iowa and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more homeowner-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Carroll County Iowa $176,000 $731
Harrison County Iowa $176,000 $849
White County Indiana $175,900 $901
Hillsdale County Michigan $176,100 $832
Tunica County Mississippi $175,900 $977

Other Counties in Iowa

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Carroll County $176,000 $731 77.1%
Harrison County $176,000 $849 77.1%
Mitchell County $175,100 $738 80.0%
Jackson County $175,000 $807 80.7%
Delaware County $177,900 $764 79.6%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).